Email: Jepsantos@ufl.edu

Improvements in lactation and reproductive performance of dairy cattle remain a central focus for dairy producers and are essential components of production for profitability of dairy farms. To address this continuing need. Dr Santos's research and extension programs have focused on the interface between nutrition and reproduction to improve postpartum health, lactation performance, and establishment and maintenance of pregnancy in dairy cattle under intensive production systems. He has built his research program to develop unique and important practical approaches to enhance reproductive performance, milk production and health of dairy cattle. The research conducted by his graduate students has focused primarily on understanding how nutrients and manipulation of the estrous cycle of dairy cattle influences establishment and maintenance of pregnancy. One component of the program has dealt with the integration of nutritional and reproductive management to improve conception and embryo survival. Another component has focused on understanding how dietary lipids and other nutrients influence tissue metabolism, immune responses, and health of cattle to ultimately develop practical approaches to optimize health and lactation performance.

Representative Publications

Santos, J.E.P., T.R. Bilby, W.W. Thatcher, C.R. Staples, and F.T. Silvestre. 2008. Long chain fatty acids of diet as factors influencing reproduction in cattle. Reprod. Dom. Anim. 43 (Supp. 2), 1–8 (2008); doi: 10.1111/j.1439-0531.2008.01139.

Santos, J.E.P. 2008. Influences of transition cow nutrition on health and reproduction of dairy cows. Recent Advances in Animal Nutrition - 2007, Ed. P.C. Garnsworthy and J. Wiseman. Nottingham University Press, pp. 1-24.

Santos, J.E.P., H.M. Rutigliano, and M.F. Sá Filho. 2008. Risk factors for resumption of postpartum cyclicity and embryonic survival in lactating dairy cows. Anim. Reprod. Sci. In press. doi:10.1016/j.anireprosci.2008.01.014.

Villaseñor, M. A.C. Coscioni, K.N. Galvão, R.C. Chebel, and J.E.P. Santos. 2008. Gossypol disrupts embryo development in heifers. J. Dairy Sci. (Accepted March 27, 2008)

Chebel, R.C., F. Susca, and J.E.P. Santos. 2008. Leptin genotype is associated with lactation performance and health of Holstein cows. J. Dairy Sci. 91: (Accepted February 26, 2008).

Bicalho, R.C., K.N. Galvão, C.L. Guard, and J.E.P. Santos. 2008. Optimizing the accuracy of detecting a functional corpus luteum in dairy cows. Theriogenology In press. doi:10.1016/j.theriogenology.2008.03.015